Brandy L. Edwards

Recent trends in National Institutes of Health funding for surgery: 2003 to 2013

BACKGROUND The purpose of this study is to compare the compositions of federally funded surgical research between 2003 and 2013, and to assess differences in funding trends between surgery and other medical specialties. DATA SOURCES The National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Portfolio Online Reporting Tool database was queried for grants within core surgical disciplines during 2003 and 2013. Funding was categorized by award type, methodology, and discipline. Application success rates for surgery and 5 nonsurgical departments were trended over time. CONCLUSIONS Inflation-adjusted NIH funding for surgical research decreased 19% from

Construct Validation of a Cost-Effective Vessel Ligation Benchtop Simulator

270 M in 2003 to

The Association of Mammographic Density and Molecular Breast Cancer Subtype

219 M in 2013, with a shift from R-awards to U-awards. Proportional funding to outcomes research almost tripled, while translational research diminished. Nonsurgical departments have increased NIH application volume over the last 10 years; however, surgerys application volume has been stagnant. To preserve surgerys role in innovative research, new efforts are needed to incentivize an increase in application volume.

Obesity Is Not Associated with Antimicrobial Treatment Failure for Intra-Abdominal Infection

OBJECTIVE Many benchtop surgical simulators assess laparoscopic proficiency, yet few address core open surgical skills. The purpose of this study is to describe a cost-effective benchtop vessel ligation simulator and provide construct validation. DESIGN A prospective comparison of blinded proficiency assessments among participants performing a benchtop vessel ligation simulation task. Evaluations were performed using Objective Structured Assessments of Technical Skills. SETTING This study took place at the University of Virginia, School of Medicine: a large academic medical institution. PARTICIPANTS The participants included fourth-year medical students participating in a focused surgical elective course (n = 16), postgraduate year 2 to 3 surgery residents (n = 6), and surgical faculty (n = 5). RESULTS The total fixed costs of the vessel ligation simulator was

Do Polymicrobial Intra-Abdominal Infections Have Worse Outcomes than Monomicrobial Intra-Abdominal Infections?

30. Flexible costs of operation were less than

Relationship of a Second Professional Degree to Research Productivity of General Surgery Residents

0.20 per attempt. The median task-specific checklist scores among the medical students, residents, and faculty were 4.83, 7.33, and 7.67, respectively. Median global rating scores across the 3 groups were 2.29, 4.43, and 4.76, respectively. Significant proficiency differences were noted between the students and the residents/faculty for both the metrics (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS A cost-effective benchtop simulator can effectively measure proficiency with basic open surgical techniques such as vessel ligation. Among the junior surgical trainees, this tool can identify learning gaps and improve operative skills in a preclinical setting.

Surgery investigators funded through the National Institutes of Health: A rebirth

Background: Mammographic density (MD) is associated with increased breast cancer risk, yet limited data exist on an association between MD and breast cancer molecular subtypes. Methods: Women ages 18 years and older with breast cancer and available mammograms between 2003 and 2012 were enrolled in a larger study on MD. MD was classified by the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) classification and by volumetric breast percent density (Volpara Solutions). Subtype was assigned by hormone receptor status, tumor grade, and mitotic score (MS). Subtypes included: Luminal-A (ER/PR+ and grade = 1; ER/PR+ and grade = 2 and MS = 1; ER+/PR− and grade = 1; n = 233); Luminal-B (ER+ and grade = 3 or MS = 3; ER+/PR− and grade = 2; ER/PR+ and grade = 2 and MS = 2; n = 79); Her-2-neu+ (H2P; n = 59); triple-negative (ER/PR−, Her-2−; n = 86). Precancer factors including age, race, body mass index (kg/m2), family history of breast cancer, and history of lobular carcinoma in situ were analyzed. Results: A total of 604 patients had invasive cancer; 457 had sufficient information for analysis. Women with H2P tumors were younger (P = 0.011) and had the highest volumetric percent density (P = 0.002) among subgroups. Multinomial logistic regression (LA = reference) demonstrated that although quantitative MD does not significantly differentiate between all subtypes (P = 0.123), the association between MD and H2P tumors is significant (OR = 1.06; confidence interval, 1.01–1.12). This association was not seen using BI-RADS classification in bivariable analysis but was statistically significant (P = 0.047) when controlling for other precancer factors. Conclusions: Increased MD is more strongly associated with H2P tumors when compared with LA. Impact: Delineating risk factors specific to breast cancer subtype may promote development of individualized risk prediction models and screening strategies. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev; 26(10); 1487–92. ©2017 AACR.

Impact of Urban Neighborhood Disadvantage on Late Stage Breast Cancer Diagnosis in Virginia

BACKGROUND Obesity and commonly associated comorbidities are known risk factors for the development of infections. However, the intensity and duration of antimicrobial treatment are rarely conditioned on body mass index (BMI). In particular, the influence of obesity on failure of antimicrobial treatment for intra-abdominal infection (IAI) remains unknown. We hypothesized that obesity is associated with recurrent infectious complications in patients treated for IAI. METHODS Five hundred eighteen patients randomized to treatment in the Surgical Infection Society Study to Optimize Peritoneal Infection Therapy (STOP-IT) trial were evaluated. Patients were stratified by obese (BMI ≥30) versus non-obese (BMI≥30) status. Descriptive comparisons were performed using Chi-square test, Fisher exact test, or Wilcoxon rank-sum tests as appropriate. Multivariable logistic regression using a priori selected variables was performed to assess the independent association between obesity and treatment failure in patients with IAI. RESULTS Overall, 198 (38.3%) of patients were obese (BMI ≥30) versus 319 (61.7%) who were non-obese. Mean antibiotic d and total hospital d were similar between both groups. Unadjusted outcomes of surgical site infection (9.1% vs. 6.9%, p = 0.36), recurrent intra-abdominal infection (16.2% vs. 13.8, p = 0.46), death (1.0% vs. 0.9%, p = 1.0), and a composite of all complications (25.3% vs. 19.8%, p = 0.14) were also similar between both groups. After controlling for appropriate demographics, comorbidities, severity of illness, treatment group, and duration of antimicrobial therapy, obesity was not independently associated with treatment failure (c-statistic: 0.64). CONCLUSIONS Obesity is not associated with antimicrobial treatment failure among patients with IAI. These results suggest that obesity may not independently influence the need for longer duration of antimicrobial therapy in treatment of IAI versus non-obese patients.

Abstract P2-04-04: Association of mammographic density and molecular breast cancer subtype

BACKGROUND Numerous studies have demonstrated microorganism interaction through signaling molecules, some of which are recognized by other bacterial species. This interspecies synergy can prove detrimental to the human host in polymicrobial infections. We hypothesized that polymicrobial intra-abdominal infections (IAI) have worse outcomes than monomicrobial infections. METHODS Data from the Study to Optimize Peritoneal Infection Therapy (STOP-IT), a prospective, multicenter, randomized controlled trial, were reviewed for all occurrences of IAI having culture results available. Patients in STOP-IT had been randomized to receive four days of antibiotics vs. antibiotics until two days after clinical symptom resolution. Patients with polymicrobial and monomicrobial infections were compared by univariable analysis using the Wilcoxon rank sum, χ(2), and Fisher exact tests. RESULTS Culture results were available for 336 of 518 patients (65%). The durations of antibiotic therapy in polymicrobial (n = 225) and monomicrobial IAI (n = 111) were equal (p = 0.78). Univariable analysis demonstrated similar demographics in the two populations. The 37 patients (11%) with inflammatory bowel disease were more likely to have polymicrobial IAI (p = 0.05). Polymicrobial infections were not associated with a higher risk of surgical site infection, recurrent IAI, or death. CONCLUSION Contrary to our hypothesis, polymicrobial IAI do not have worse outcomes than monomicrobial infections. These results suggest polymicrobial IAI can be treated the same as monomicrobial IAI.

Use of prophylactic postoperative antibiotics during surgical drain presence following mastectomy.

OBJECTIVE Many general surgery residents interrupt clinical training for research pursuits or advanced degrees during dedicated research time (DRT). We hypothesize that time required to obtain a second degree during DRT decreases resident publication productivity. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS All consecutive categorical general surgery residents at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, VA, graduating in 2007 to 2016 were evaluated. PubMed queries identified journal publications for residents during and after DRT, limited to 1 year postgraduation. DRT varied between 1 and 3 years and was standardized by dividing publication number by DRT plus remaining clinical years and 1 postgraduation year. Median publications were compared between residents by receipt of a second degree. RESULTS Thirty-six residents were eligible for analysis. Of these, 8 obtained a Masters in Clinical Research, 3 received Master of Public Health, and 1 completed a Doctorate of Philosophy. Publications ranged from 2 to 76 for degree residents and 1 to 36 for nondegree residents. For the 12 degree residents, median publication number per year was 3.8 (interquartile range: 2.3, 5.2) compared to 2.6 (interquartile range: 1.6, 3.5) in residents not pursuing a postdoctoral degree (p = 0.04). There was no significant difference in median number of first and second author publications by degree status. CONCLUSION More publications per year were seen among residents earning a second degree, with a statistically significant difference between residents obtaining postdoctoral degrees during DRT compared with their counterparts. Our study demonstrates that residents pursuing a second degree are not hindered in their publication productivity despite the time investment required by the degree program. Additional research is needed to determine whether formal research training through a second degree corresponds to sustained scholarly productivity beyond residency.